Origin

The words legacy (Late Middle English), legal (Late Middle English), legitimate (Late Middle English), and loyal (early 16th century) all descend from Latin lex ‘law’, the source also of law. The phrase law and order is found from the late 16th century. It was Charles Dickens who first said the law is an ass, or rather his character Mr Bumble did in Oliver Twist: ‘“If the law supposes that,” said Mr Bumble…“the law is a ass…a idiot.”’ See also jungle